Burt L. Standish

“ Frank’s friends were all together in a body. Among them Harry Rattleton was the only one who expressed anxiety.
“I know Merry could do that fellow ordinarily,” said Rattles, in a whisper; “but I fear he’s out of trim now. Darleton is in perfect practice, and he will bet the guest of Merry—I mean get the best of him!”
“Don’t you believe it!” hissed Hodge. “Don’t you ever think such a thing for a second! Merry may not be at his best, but he is that fellow’s master. He has enough skill to hold Darleton even, and he has the master mind. The master mind will conquer.” ”

“ When the Elks came to bat in their half of the ninth Jack Lawrence implored them to get a run somehow.
“Don’t let them shut us out!” he entreated. “It will be a disgrace!”
“I thought so a while ago,” said Wolfers, in a low tone; “but it will be no disgrace to be whitewashed while batting against a fellow like that Merriwell. I didn’t think he could pitch at all. He’s the best man I ever saw toe the rubber! I’m going to tell him so after the game. Why, Lawrence, we’ve got a team of hitters. Every man is a sticker. Do you realize that we haven’t secured a single safe hit to-day?” ”

“ He knew how Frank would take it; he knew he would be a good loser.
Across from right field came the wail of Dunnerwurst:
“Get dot pall under, Choe! You can dood id!”
He was doing his level best; it was not in him to do more. He realized at last that he was going to miss the ball by inches—if he missed it.
Oh, that he could cover a little more ground! Oh, that he had wings!
His comrades knew how madly he was trying. They scarcely breathed.
“Good old Joe!” whispered Rattleton. “He can’t fail!”
But there are things beyond human accomplishment. It was possible for Gamp to fail. ”

“ Drop it! If we have any one in the club who can’t take an honorable defeat in a square contest of any sort, it’s time that person took himself out of our ranks. I reckon that is straight enough.”
“Quite straight enough, Mr. Robbins,” bowed Darleton; “but it doesn’t touch me. I can stand defeat; but I am seldom satisfied with one trial. The first trial may be for sport, but with me the second is for blood.”
Having said this, he wheeled and stalked out of the room.
“We’ll never have peace in this club while he continues to be a member,” asserted Hugh Morton earnestly. ”

“ The only way to save her was to win the game.
“Play ball! play ball!” howled the rough element of the crowed. “Put her off the field!”
“Merriwell has a mash!” shouted a man.
“Do your goo-gooing after the game,” advised another.
“Miss Blake,” said Frank earnestly, “you may rely on me to do my best; but I warn you in advance that the chances are strongly in favor of Cameron.”
“I have confidence in you,” she declared. “That is why I made that wager. I have had confidence in you from the moment when I first set eyes on you. Something tells me you are the sort of a man who triumphs. ”

“ A profound silence was broken by Dunnerwurst, who gurgled:
“Uf I faint, vill somebody blease throw me on some vater!”
“Stretcher,” said Merry, “I don’t suppose there is ever anything in your State that is not grand and superior? There are no drawbacks to Missouri? Soil, climate, people—all are of the first quality?”
“Oh,” said Jim, with an air of modesty, “I presume any part of the country has its drawbacks. The soil of Missouri is magnificent and the climate superb—as a rule. ”

“ There was only one bartender in the place, and, after serving them, he gave them no further attention, which permitted them to talk in low tones without fearing that they would be overheard.
“I’m going to take no chances with this man Merriwell,” said Huntley. “I propose to make sure he’ll not win that trophy. I want it, and I’m going to have it.”
“Don’t be afraid of Merriwell,” laughed Hollingsworth, with a significance that Huntley did not catch. “He won’t beat anything.”
“You don’t seem to know what the fellow can do. He’s a wonder, and he wins at anything he tries if given a fair show.” ”

“ Frank’s first ball was handsomely placed and cleanly missed.
“Str-r-r-rike—kah!” called the umpire.
“Hit id vere id missed you!” yelled Dunnerwurst, from the field.
“That’s the place, Merry,” laughed Hodge, all the clouds gone from his face. “It’s so easy!”
“Verily it is a thing of great delight,” murmured Jack Ready.
“How can he hit them when he can’t see them?” rumbled Bruce Browning.
Dade Morgan, sitting on the bench, his left hand clasping his right arm above the elbow, smiled and nodded with satisfaction.
“Merry will save the game,” he muttered to himself. ”

“ The river swept in a horseshoe-like curve to the south. To the north was the estate of Robert Ashley, comprising hundreds of acres of green fields, broad meadows, hills, valleys, and wild woodland. On one of the hillsides, surrounded by splendid old trees, stood Ash Hall. In order to build a home to suit himself, Mr. Ashley had razed a house that formerly stood on the same spot.
“Who is the pacemaker?” asked Merry, as he watched the runners through a pair of field glasses.
“That is Carl Prince, of Batavia,” answered Paul Proctor. ”

“ Morgan was angry.
“What’s the matter with you fellows?” he sharply demanded. “You think a man ought to hit all the time. Keep in the game, and Merry will pull it off the coals.”
The Elks were jubilant. They patted Wolfers on the back and complimented him on his cleverness.
“Get out!” he growled. “It was no trick at all. I can strike him out four times out of five. I know his weak spot.”
“I’ve been told he has no weak spot,” said Billy Cronin.
“That’s rot! He has a weak spot, all right enough. I wish all the others on his team were just as easy.” ”

“ For Merry it was a “no-hit, no-run” game. Although he struck out but one man in the ninth, the other two batted easy bounders into the diamond and were thrown out at first.
The game ended one to nothing in favor of the Merries.
Bob Wolfers was the first to reach Frank and grasp his hand.
“Boy, you’re all right!” he cried. “If I’ve said anything unpleasant, I apologize. You’re a gentleman, too! As a pitcher, you’ve got any youngster living skinned a mile!”
The Elks remembered what had followed the first game, when the Merries were defeated, and they did not fail to cheer for the winners. ”

“ Unheard and unobserved, a red-faced chap in a sweater had mounted the steps to the observatory. He had a Scotch cap pushed back on his head, and he paused with his hands on his hips, surveying Merriwell’s back with a look of disapproval, while he listened to the words of Frank and Paul.
“But I have heard it claimed that you keep yourself constantly in training, and you are now finishing a tour with your own athletic team. If you remain here and do not enter, it will be fancied that you were afraid. People will ask why you were present and failed to compete for the splendid Ashley trophy.” ”

“ To cover his confusion, Morton hastened to introduce Darleton and his companion, Grant Hardy, to Frank and Bart.
“Mr. Darleton,” said Merry, “glad to know you. I’ve just been hearing about you from your fencing instructor.”
“Have you?” said Darleton, with a quite superior air. “I’m afraid Monsieur L’Estrange has been boasting about me, as usual. Just because I happened to be particularly apt as a pupil, he is inclined to puff me on every occasion. I don’t fancy it, you know, but I can’t seem to prevent it. People will begin to think me quite a wonder if he doesn’t stop overrating me.” ”

“ The appearance of Cameron’s team in suits when they left the hotel to march to the ball ground was the signal for a great demonstration on the part of the youngsters of Cartersville, who were waiting to escort them. The cheering brought a number of the Merries to windows to look out, and they saw their opponents-to-be set off down the street, followed by the admiring crowd.
“Behold the gladiators whom we are to meet in the arena!” cried Jack Ready.
“They’re a hot bunch of old-stagers,” grunted Browning.
“It will keep us busy to cool them off,” said Frank. ”

“ Darleton has a temper, and I shall count on it leading to his downfall, in case we meet.”
“You’ll meet, for you are challenged. He thinks you a mark, Merry. He’ll be overconfident.”
“Another thing I count on as aiding me. Overconfidence is quite as bad as lack of confidence. Darleton has been praised too much, and he believes he is very nearly perfect as a fencer. A defeat now will either make or mar him. If defeated, he will either set about working harder to acquire further accomplishment, or he will quit.” ”

“ We were all to blame. We couldn’t hit Wolfers! I’d like to try it again!” he savagely ended.
“We’d all like to try it again,” said Browning.
“Can’t we?” eagerly asked Rattleton.
“Let’s!” grunted Badger.
“Get together, fellows,” directed Frank. “We’ll give Elkton a cheer.”
“It’s their place to cheer us first,” objected Hodge.
“Never mind that. We’ll get ahead of them. Open it up good and hearty. Let’s show them that we can lose without crying baby. None of us fancies a baby.”
He gathered them about him and led the cheer, which was hearty enough.
The Elks were taken by surprise. ”

“ Sprowl turned toward second, but Dunnerwurst had secured the ball, and he dodged back to first.
“You’re a mark, Merriwell,” laughed Wolfers, as he walked out to hit. “How did you ever get a reputation as a pitcher, anyhow?”
Frank was a trifle “touched” by the fellow’s insolence, although he did not betray it.
“Getting a reputation isn’t as difficult as keeping it sometimes, you know,” he said.
“Well, don’t you care. You’re up against the real thing to-day. You might beat dub teams; but it’s different when you have to face the real hot stuff.” ”

“ All we need is one run. That will do the trick.”
Browning was the first man up. The big fellow did not try for a long hit. He made an effort to drop the ball over the infield; but Rush covered ground swiftly and made a handsome catch.
“Too bad, Bruce,” said Frank, as Browning returned to the bench. “With a poorer shortstop out there, you would have had a safe one.”
“It’s rotten!” growled the big fellow, in disgust. “We want this game! We can’t lose it! We’ve got to have it! These fellows are too conceited. They call us kids! If we’re kids, I wonder where they can find their men!” ”

“ He continued to listen, for, believing themselves safe from prying eyes or listening ears, the schemers pursued their conversation.
“You will get the trophy, sir,” declared Hollingsworth, growing calmer and once more restoring the eighth letter of the alphabet to its rightful position. “No man from the outside is better than you, and they will not have the advantage of your knowledge. As for the Ashport men, they might do very well on this track; but there’s only one in the lot who will make a great showing cross country.” ”

“ Once more Spud Bailey stood on his head, and once more Freckles kicked him over.
The spectators were generous with their applause, for they recognized the fact that Bart had made a wonderful throw.
“That’s a good whip you have, young fellow,” said the big man.
“Pretty work, Hodge!” smiled Frank. “I thought he would try it. Can’t fool many of them that way if you keep up that throwing.”
“Oh, they’ll work for this game if they get it!” said Hodge.
“Haw! haw!” laughed Tinker mockingly. “Don’t pat yourself on the back so soon. The game is young.”
He walked out to hit. ”

“ At first Omaha did not appeal to Frank; but he quickly found the people of the city were frank, unreserved, genial, and friendly, and after all, a person learns to like a place mainly through the character of its inhabitants.
At the rooms of the Midwestern, Merry and his comrades met a fine lot of young men, nearly all of whom made an effort to entertain the boys. The visitors were quickly convinced that they were welcome at the club and that they could make themselves at home there without offending any conservative and hidebound old fogies. ”

“ You know I’m not a quitter, and I——”
“No one knows you’re not a quitter better than I do,” said Frank promptly. “If you feel that way about your arm, I wouldn’t have you stay in the box for anything in the world.”
“Besides,” said Dade, “the game is tied, and you can hold those sluggers down. They are the fiercest batters we’ve encountered this season.”
“Sluggers is the correct name for them,” nodded Merriwell. “No wonder the Central League of Ohio is fighting against taking in the reconstructed Elkton aggregation. Every man on this team is a professional with a reputation.” ”